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William Edward Henry Reynolds
b.4 Nov 1839 Gallipolis (township), Gallia, Ohio, United States
d.29 Jan 1927 Sioux City, Woodbury, Iowa, United States
Family tree▼ (edit)
m. Abt 1831
(edit)
m. 31 Jan 1889
Facts and Events
Family Origins According to his daughter Stella, William’s parents were John I. and Jane Reynolds. They immigrated to the USA from England only a few years before his birth. The passenger records of the ship “Splendid”, travelling from Liverpool to New York in August 1834, shows John Reynolds, wife Jane, and daughter Annie, age 1. He appeared on the 1850 U.S. Federal census in Kanawha, Virginia, with his parents and
sisters: 17-year-old Annie, 13-year old Sarah, 10-year-old William, 7-year-old Mary, and 2-year-
old Susan. His baby sister Ada was born in Kanawha, West Virginia, in 1853. His parents
both died sometime between 1853 and 1860, and the young family was thrown into turmoil.
William’s Military Service In 1862, William lied about his age to enroll in the military at Gallipolis, Ohio, when Civil War broke out. No doubt he anticipated the military would provide for him, if nothing else, room and board and perhaps some spending money. When he enlisted he was described as 5 ft. 8, fair hair, blue eyes, and light complexion. He served in Co H, 60th regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry from 24 Mar to 10 Nov 1862. Although his regiment was involved in the war for less than a year, they participated in a considerable amount of fighting. The pursued Stonewall Jackson up the Shenandoah Valley during the month of June. They fought in Strasburg, Virginia on June 1-2, in Harrisburg, Virginia on June 6, and finally Cross Keys, Virginia on June 8th. On September 2 they evacuated from Winchester to the safety of Harpers Ferry, then fought at Harpers Ferry from September 11-15. On the 15th they surrendered to the Confederate forces. They were paroled as prisoners of war on September 16th, and marched to Annapolis, Maryland. From there they traveled by train to Camp Douglas in Chicago, Illinois. Their year-long term of their service was due to expire shortly, but during the interim the Army bureaucrats didn’t know what to do with the troops. They were finally mustered out on November 10, 1862. Wandering Young Man After the military, he returned to Ohio and got married. About a year later, his wife and newborn child died during childbirth. He apparently had wanderlust and moved frequently-- was it from grief at losing his wife and baby? Was he searching for better land to farm? We know he lived in Waterloo, Lawrence, Ohio. He then moved to Pesotum, Champaign, Illinois, where his sister Ada would live. He moved to Kahoka, Clark, Missouri, and then Hammond, Piatt, Illinois. According to daughter Stella, he moved near Sioux City, Iowa to be close to his 2 sisters and their families— Annie Reynolds Hughes and Sue Reynolds Blagg. Marriage and Family, Still on the Move On January 31, 1889 William married Elizabeth Beaumont in Elk Point, Union, South Dakota. She was probably worried about becoming an old spinster at her advanced age of 24, and he was no doubt very experienced with women at his age of 49. There was likely a conflict in Elizabeth’s family over her marriage. Stella said her parents met in Sioux City, Iowa but went to South Dakota to marry. Stella Reynolds described her family’s early life: In 1893 they [the Reynolds family] moved to a farm in Union County, S.D. where I was born. A pickle factory had started a business in Sioux City and my parents contracted to plant five acres to cucumbers to sell to the factory. After the pickles had been delivered, the factory filed bankruptcy and my folks received nothing for their summer work. They had a very hard time eking out a living as they had two small sons and were expecting another child (me) in January. Actually, dad drove a team of horses hitched to a springboard wagon to Sioux City to bring one of his sisters [Sue Blagg] to be with mother and to care for the other children when I was about due. However, when Dad was delayed by a bad blizzard, I became impatient and decided I would strike out on my own some two days before Dad and his sister arrived. Mother had to act as doctor, nurse, and mother. By the time Dad managed to arrive, the wood for fuel was depleted so Mother, after caring for me, took all three of us children to bed with her, and with a good supply of blankets and quilts was able to keep us all warm until Dad got back and took over. Mother always said that the only way we managed to survive was in answer to her prayers. Dad must have agreed with her as he joined the church and was a devoted Christian the rest of his life. Before that time, he hadn't led a good life. He had been orphaned at an early age, entered the army at the time of the civil war by giving a false birth date. While in the service he became involved with other young men who were involved in drinking parties as their main objective in life. After I arrived, however, he gave up that habit as he said, "no daughter of mine would ever be able to say her father was a drunkard." They were in dire circumstances and managed to survive in an abandoned log cabin through the assistance of father's two sisters. In January I came along to add to their misfortunes. However they were so happy the baby was a girl and healthy that nothing else seemed to matter. When they moved into the log cabin, it had been vacant a long time and rats had taken possession of the place. The first night they were there, a rat got into bed with my two small brothers and almost bit off the toe on one of them. After that my father kept a light burning and slept with a shotgun by his bed until he managed to get rid of the rats. Later dad was hired to work with a construction crew and managed to keep us all fed and clothed until he found a better farm for the next spring. Times were hard but the folks always had good gardens and mother was a good
seamstress so they managed to feed and clothe us. Dad had two nieces who taught
school and wore good clothes which they gave to mother to make over for the children.
As it happened, my folks were criticized because we were the best dressed children in
the school. The critics never realized how many nights mother spent making over others’
clothes for us children. The two children younger than I both passed away in infancy.
Then Helen came along and when she was about two we moved to Minnesota. Helen remembered her father as being very active, even in his eighties. He would attend county fairs and enter the wrestling matches, and nobody could take him down for a pin fall. His obituary, published in the Sioux City Journal on 30 Jan 1927 in Sioux City, Iowa, read: MEMBER GRANT'S COMMAND DIES Sioux City Man Was Captured at Harper's Ferry. Death Saturday night claimed William E. Reynolds veteran of the Civil War and pioneer Sioux Citian who passed away at the home of his son, Harry F. Reynolds, 3221 North Lynn Street. Mr. Reynolds was one of the comparatively few living Civil War veterans who actually saw service in the conflict, and his war record shows that he took part in numerous engagements during the four years of strife. After enlisting in Company II, Sixteenth Ohio Regulars, Mr. Reynolds was transferred to General U.S. Grant's command and took part in the famous battle of Bull Run where he became separated from the union forces and was taken prisoner by men under General Stonewall Jackson. In time he was released and during the battle of Harper's Ferry he again was captured, and spent considerable time in confederate hands. Came Here in 1878 At the close of the war Mr. Reynolds was discharged, and married Elizabeth Beaumont. In 1872 the couple moved to Whiting, Iowa, and in 1878 came to Sioux City. Death followed an illness of two weeks, and was caused by infirmities attendant upon his advanced years. Surviving are; Two sons, Harry F. and Horace W. and three daughters, Stella and Bernice Reynolds and Mrs. H.V. Joy, all of Sioux City; and two sisters, Mrs. Ada Higgins of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Mrs. Mary Ziegler of Delapois, O. Mrs. Reynolds proceeded her husband in death four years ago. Funeral services will be conducted at 10:30 o'clock Tuesday morning at Christy's undertaking chapel. Rev. B.M. Watson, of St. James Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Harrison Township Cemetery, south of Whiting. Cemetery records at Harrison Township cemetery show that William's daughter Ada was buried there, without a stone, but there is no record of either William or his wife being buried there. Image Gallery
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